Bouma's blocks boost Flames to win

Rookie sensation pots late winner to continue hot streak

Flames forward Curtis Glencross celebrates with linemate Jiri Hudler on the second Flames goal against goalie Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Flames got a late winner from rookie Sean Monahan and beat the Devils 3-2.

Photograph by: Ted Rhodes
, Calgary Herald

Sure, there had been heroes aplenty.

Jiri Hudler’s assists give him points in every game so far.

Dennis Wideman, with another 29-minute performance under his belt, is a new man.

Hooking up for the winning tally — Sven Baertschi, 21, whipped a perfect pass to Sean Monahan, who turns 19 on Saturday, with less than three minutes remaining.

Few, though, will deny the importance of Lance Bouma’s battered carcass in the Calgary Flames’ 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils in National Hockey League action Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Bouma took 21 shifts — but none more eye-catching (and shin-contusing) than his spin in the middle of the third period.With the Flames sagging, with the Devils pressing, Bouma dropped not once, but twice to block pucks. (The wild sequence concluded with Mikael Backlund and Kris Russell racing to get in front of a third pellet.)

“Just read the play, think when he’s going to shoot,” explained Bouma, “and try to get in front of it with whatever you can.”Flames coach Bob Hartley puffed with pride when asked about Bouma and his shot-blocking brothers.

“Unbelievable,” said Hartley. “I felt that Booms should be in the goalie department (of the stat sheet). (T.J.) Galiardi and Bouma, they looked like two pretzels out there in front of the net. Just diving. I don’t know what kind of dancing it was, but I’m sure (Saturday) morning, there’s going to be a few bruises on those bodies.

“That’s what we want. That’s what we’re asking.”

The skipper wasn’t the only one gushing about Bouma.

Fans roared. Teammates, too.

“Credit to him, that was unbelievable,” said Mark Giordano. “Guys were tired and we had to collapse, and he basically stopped their attack on his own. Usually you don’t get momentum after a shift in your own zone for a couple minutes, but because of the blocks, because of the way guys were sacrificing their bodies … to get a standing (ovation) from the crowd was pretty cool.

“Definitely a turning point.”

It says a lot about Monahan that his handiwork is becoming … well, not exactly ho-hum, but not exactly a surprise anymore. The rookie pivot has recorded points in all five of his NHL appearances. Friday, he won 9-of-16 draws, too.

“He’s definitely raising some eyebrows,” Giordano said. “Now it’s almost become like he’s our go-to guy and it’s expected. He has a knack for the net and he has a great touch. That (goal is) not as easy as he made it look — to one-touch it from your off-side.”

Added Hartley: “He’s a monster player. He’s knows where to get open, plus every time I see him with the puck, it seems to find the back of the net. You call this a gifted player. He has that touch. He’s a very special young player for us.”

The boy himself claims he still needs work. On what exactly, coach?

“Just to grow,” said Hartley. “He’s an 18-year-old kid. We’re trying to round him up. Every young player, I want to make them complete players. I don’t want any one-trick ponies — players who will not back-check, players who will not compete, players who will not block shots. This is a new chapter in this organization.

The record book says so, too. The win pushes the Flames to 3-0-2. Yes, a point in all five dates. Not many people expected this.

“You know what it is? It’s great for our confidence,” said Giordano. “If we started off on a bad note, you sort of let those thoughts creep into your head, what everyone else is saying. It’s a great start.”

Before anyone got too giddy, Hartley offered a dose of reality.

Not only is a telling five-game road trip in their immediate future. And Friday, the Flames were the second-best team for much of the night. Power-play efficiency — goals by Giordano and Wideman in the second period — kept the local gents in the contest as Adam Henrique and Dainius Zubrus counted for the guests.

“I felt the Devils out-worked us and they were the better team,” Hartley said of the opening two periods. “They’re big, they wear you down. (Friday) was not our best game, but we found a way to win.”

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Flames forward Curtis Glencross celebrates with linemate Jiri Hudler on the second Flames goal against goalie Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. The Flames got a late winner from rookie Sean Monahan and beat the Devils 3-2.

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